1 Customs requirements:
1.1 Arrivals
1.1.1 Baggage or other articles belonging to disembarking passengers or crew shall be presented to the customs authorities for inspection which will be carried out on a selective basis. All accompanied baggage will be cleared on the basis of oral declaration. Unaccompanied baggage shall be treated as cargo.
1.1.2 Every article imported for trade or commercial purposes is taxed according to the South African Customs and Excise tariff and should be declared separately.
1.1.3 Not more than R500 in South African bank notes may be imported whilst the importation of unwrought, unworked or semi-manufactured gold is subject to a permit issued by the South African Treasury.
1.2 The importation of the following articles is prohibited or restricted: meat; live animals; drugs, e.g. opium, cocaine, morphine, marijuana (Indian hemp); flick knives and dangerous weapons; indecent, obscene or objectionable books, periodicals, photographs, films and other articles; agricultural products or any plants, seeds or bulbs, e.t.c.
1.2.1 Certain rebates and duty free allowances are in force and particulars may be obtained from any South African diplomatic mission or on arrival.
1.3 Departures
1.3.1 No customs formalities are normally required on departure.
1.3.2 Visitors leaving the Republic of South Africa within 12 months of arrival may export R500 in South African bank notes and any amount of foreign bank notes provided such bank notes were originally brought into the Republic of South Africa by them, or represent the proceeds or instruments or exchange brought into and exchanged in the Republic of South Africa by them.
1.3.3 The exportation of gold in any form is subject of a permit issued by the South African Treasury, S.A. Reserve Bank or a commercial bank.
1.4 Customs and excise aerodrome
The following have been appointed as customs and excise aerodromes:
Cape Town International Airport, Cape Town;
O R Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg;
Bram Fischer International Airport, Bloemfontein;
Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg;
Port Elizabeth International Airport, Port Elizabeth;
King Shaka International Airport, Durban;
Polokwane International Airport, Polokwane;
Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, Nelspruit;
Upington International Airport, Upington;
Pilanesberg International Airport, Pilanesberg.
International flights may divert to Bram Fischer Airport, Bloemfontein when necessary. International flights so diverted and everything aboard them will remain “in transit” until the aircraft proceeds to its original destination. No passenger will be permitted to leave the flight at Bram Fischer Airport.
2 Immigration requirements
2.1 Visas are normally not required of passengers arriving and departing on the same through flight or transferring to another flight at the same airport. Transit passengers wishing to leave the transit areas must obtain visas.
2.2 To gain entry into the Republic of South Africa, a visitor or a person seeking admission for a temporary stay, must comply with the requirements of the Aliens Control Act, 96 (Act 96 of 1991). He must inter alia be in possession of a valid passport, duly visaed for entry into the Republic of South Africa if not exempt from the visa requirements of the Republic of South Africa, and must satisfy the passport control officer at the port of entry that he is in possession of a fully paid up return or onward ticket and that he has sufficient means to sustain himself for a reasonable period after his arrival, that he has never been refused entry into, deported from, or ordered to leave the Republic of South Africa, that he has never been convicted of any crime in any country and is not suffering from tuberculosis, any other infectious or contagious disease or any mental or physical deficiency.
A person who cannot comply with the aforementioned requirements, may be refused entry. Public and private conveyors will be penalised for conveying any person not been in possession of the necessary documentation and non-compliance with the relevant entry requirements.
2.3 The crew members licence or certificate is accepted in lieu of passport or visa for temporary admission into the Republic of South Africa in respect of flight crew member on a scheduled service who retains his licence in his possession when embarking or disembarking, who remains at the aerodrome where the aircraft has stopped or within the confines of the cities adjacent thereto, and who departs on the same aircraft or on the next regularly scheduled flight out of the Republic of South Africa. A crew member who enters the Republic of South Africa as a passenger in order to join an aircraft must be in possession of passport, duly visaed where required.
2.4 Passengers arriving or departing must complete an arrival/departure form (BI-55) which must be handed to the passport control officer.
2.5 Passport and Visas
The requirements are as follows:-
a) Republic of South Africa citizens: a valid Republic of South Africa passport or travel document,
b) a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies or the Republic of Ireland: a valid passport- no visa is required, provided the visa exemption has not been withdrawn.
c) a citizen of Switzerland or of Liechtenstein: a valid passport- no visa is required for temporary visits.
d) Nationals of Botswana and Swaziland: a valid passport or travel document- no visa is required for visits of 90 days or less; Lesotho - no visa is required for visits of 30 days or less; provided that the visa exemption has not been withdrawn.
e) Other foreign nationals or stateless persons: a valid passport or valid recognised travel document duly visaed for entry into the Republic of South Africa.
2.6 Temporary residence permits
The necessary permits or visas for the purpose of entry should be obtained before entry to the Republic of South Africa. Upon arrival temporary residence permits are issued to foreign visitors, at a port of entry, by Immigration Officers, appointed by the Department of Home Affairs. This specifies their purpose and duration of entry. The conditions stipulated in the permit must strictly be adhered to and the holder thereof may not without the authority of the Department of Home Affairs alter the purpose for which he/she was admitted, accept or change employment, engage in any business or profession or remain in the country later than the expiry date of the permit.
2.7 Employment
Without special permission from the Director-General for the Interior aliens are not allowed to accept employment. A person coming to the Republic of South Africa on contract or for employment must produce a work permit to the passport control officer.
2.8 Departure
A person leaving the country must be in possession of a valid passport. A Republic of South Africa citizen who is also a national of another country and who is in possession of a foreign passport, must in addition travel on the Republic of South Africa passport, together with a letter of exemption, issued in terms of the South African Citizenship Act, 88 (Act 88 of 1995) by the Department of Home Affairs.
3 Public health requirements
Disembarking passengers must be in possession of a valid international certificate of vaccination against;
a) Yellow fever when coming from yellow fever endemic areas;
b) Cholera when coming from infected areas.
All parties are please to take note that the implementation of the Immigration Act, 13 (Act 13 of 2002) may influence the present requirements and procedures.